This disclosure generally relates to fuel injectors including a heating element for pre-heating fuel prior to combustion. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a method and device for sensing and regulating a temperature of a heating element for a fuel injector.
Pre-heating fuel prior to being injected into a combustion chamber provides a more complete and efficient combustion that both increases fuel efficiency while reducing the production of undesired emission byproducts. Fuel injectors pre-heat the fuel by exposing fuel flow through the fuel injector to a heating element. The temperature of the fuel is desired to be within a desired range upon exit of the fuel injector and entrance to the combustion chamber. Fuel that is not heated sufficiently does not provide full scale of desired benefits, where fuel that is excessively heated can result in undesirable build up within the fuel system. For these reasons, the temperature of the fuel is sensed and regulated. Typically a temperature sensor is provided within the fuel injector to sense fuel temperature. Such wired sensors required additional circuitry and control at an added cost. Accordingly, it is desirable to design and develop a method and device of sensing temperature that is more efficient.